Is 2011 macbook air 11 "4 gigabytes sufficient for xcode and PS development?

Question

I would like to use it as an iOS development machine (since I don't have another Mac), but I need to know if there is enough for an iOS developer. And is it enough for PS?

Answer 1

I tried Xcode development with 4 GB and I can say that it is possible. However, after I upgraded to 8 GB, I noticed that things like launching iPhone Simulator performed a lot better. In fact, I would be a little concerned about the 11-inch screen.

With my 13-inch screen it's hard to disappoint not to get as much visual area to display my code. I find myself changing the top and right sidebars in Xcode 4 all the time.

So, in general, my advice would be against it without an external monitor. I would try with an external monitor - an SSD could compensate for 4 GB of RAM and do it enough. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

To add to the Christian answer, the screen bothers me. 11 "is small, you will almost need to have at least one other monitor to really use it as a full-featured machine without the blind (seriously). 4 gigs is enough, and the processor is fine. The post on the exact question is mostly a well-known iPhone developer (Jeff LaMarche, author) Jeff LaMarche Blog

Answer 3

I am using the "13 MBA 2011 with 4gb". Performance is not a problem, as it is easy to port through xcode 4, SSDs are a huge improvement over regular hard drives.

I would not recommend "11, although for development without an external monitor, just because of the screens.

Answer 4

I am using a 2011 15-inch Macbook Pro 4gig and this is great for Xcode. However, I use an external screen and I’ll say that it wouldn’t be so cool if I didn’t. Thus, using 4gig MBA for development is fine, but 11 "is really too small, even with an external screen.

Answer 5

I used to use a 13-inch MacBook with 2 GB of RAM with a 2.4 GHz processor. It should work fine on any of the Intel Macs. Obviously, performance will be improved on more advanced / new machines. But you will face frustration with a limited screen size. I would consider an external monitor or work fine with Spaces.